OXFORD – Oxford leaders are pushing forward with the planning process for a large-scale Phase II building project, even while they struggle with developing next year’s budget in the face of state aid cuts.

“I think we need to keep moving forward on it,” said Superintendent Squier in a phone interview last week. If the district keeps “plodding along” on the planning process, he said he’s confident that “something will emerge” that stakeholders can agree on and support.

While some have raised concerns about the timing of any project in the current fiscal climate, the district administrator is still committed to the planning process.

“With a long-term plan like this, it’s not something we need to do right now,” he explained.

In late January, he and the district’s other administrators were tasked with seeking the input of school faculty and staff members. Squier said the first of two meetings with this group of stakeholders was held last week.

The superintendent described the meeting as “cafe style,” with faculty and staff members breaking into small groups to discuss four questions.